Oakland Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Using a Cell Phone to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

BALTIMORE, MD—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Michael Westley Dever, age 37, of Oakland, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison followed by supervised release for life for using a cell phone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Bennett also ordered that upon his release from prison, Clark be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student.

According to his plea agreement, from August until October 16, 2008, Dever had sexually explicit text message conversations with a minor female. Dever also enticed the girl to take off her clothes so that he could photograph her in sexually provocative poses. In addition, Dever sent the girl pictures of himself, including one of his erect penis.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Garrett County State’s Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch and her office for their work in this investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the case.